Got Wood, NEED NAME. Help?

[mijan]

So, I'm going to be an official vendor at Sectus.  Scares me a bit, you know.  But anyway, I've got the goods, I've got the woods, but I need a name for my "business".  SUGGESTIONS WELCOMED.  However, in the meantime, we've come up with a few on our own, some silly, some serious.  Please, give feedback:

* Mijan's Wands
* Mijan's Woodcrafts
* Wandcraft
* Wood Craft
* Begotten Woods
* Got Wood
* Woodrealm Wands
* Earthwood Wands
* Phoenix Wands
* Ravenwood Wands
* Woods of the Wyrd

Okay, I'll stop with those.  If you have ANY IDEAS, preferences, suggestions, and so on, PLEASE COMMENT.  Even if I don't use a specific name, it might lead to the right one.

Thanks!

Comments

[vampireanneke.livejournal.com]

I would go by Mijan Wands. No appostrophy s or anything, because then it sort of sounds like Magic Wands. (shrugs)

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... simple, and to the point. *considers*

[vampireanneke.livejournal.com]

Or... Mijan Woods Magic Wands. Sort of flows together. Would make a nice sign/slogan. But the company name would be just Mijan Woods. I tried Mijan Wands, Magic Wands, and that just didn't work as well. I don't like Earthwood sounds like Earthworm.

[wednesdayjones.livejournal.com]

I personally like Earthwood Wands. Don't know why, it just jumped at me.

Although, Got Wood? is appealing :D

[mijan.livejournal.com]

I only belated realized that it sounds like "Torchwood". *snicker* I like that name, too. It's something I could use to crossover my business to the pagan community, because I sell there, too.

[furiosity.livejournal.com]

Got Wood? hands DOWN. To the point and with bonus slashy overtones! :D

[mijan.livejournal.com]

ROFLMAO. I should have KNOWN that if you voted, you'd pick that one. And that name was suggested by Fiona, off-handedly, while she was trying to get herself caffinated.

Do you think it would work as a real "business" name? And attract real buyers? Because I think it's a lot of fun.

[furiosity.livejournal.com]

Well, if you're planning on taking it super-mainstream, you'd run into trouble, since I think "Got Milk?" is a trademark and "Got Wood?" is close enough to raise a few eyebrows.

But as far as attracting buyers, in the words of The Great Kinney, sex sells. :D

[mijan.livejournal.com]

It does, indeed. *grins*

And I had an idea. Two-sided business cards. On one side, the nice design and information, with the official name (right now, "Earthwood Wands" seems to have the most support, but we'll see), and on the other side of the card, the simple phrase, in all lowercase, "got wood?" And I'd hand it to people with the "god wood?" side up.

What'cha think?

[furiosity.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I like that idea! :D

[adorkable37.livejournal.com]

GOT WOOD FTW!!! BWAHHAHAH!! *cough* No, uh... seiously I like Mijan's Woodcrafts. Or Earthwood Wands. Those sound good. :)

[incapricious.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I like Phoenix Wands, because it reminds me of canon and your pen name. But Got Wood makes me laugh. If you're going to have a sign up at Sectus, you should put that on there, even if you don't choose that name. Sort of like a subtitle. Like:

Phoenix Wands
Got Wood?

[mijan.livejournal.com]

That's what Fi just said... to use "Got Wood?" as a subtitle. I think I shall.

OOOOH!!! IDEA!

Two-sided business cards. On one side, the nice design and information, and on the other, the simple phrase, in all lowercase, "got wood?" What'cha think?

And I'm going to google Phoenix Wands to make sure it hasn't been used. So far, "Earthwood" has more votes, and I've got an idea for a business card design/logo already for it. Both names work, though.

[incapricious.livejournal.com]

The 2-sided business card thing sounds good!

Oh, good call with Phoenix Wands already being in use. I guess Earthwood Wands it is. Or something else. :)

[zentariana.livejournal.com]

I really like Woodrealm Wands.

[regicidaldwarf.livejournal.com]

*also votes for Earthwood Wands*

[fiona-fawkes.livejournal.com]

Leaving a comment here, too. Pretty much just retyping what I put in chat, because if it works, I want some credit for it. I'd go for Earthwood Wands for the official title, but use the tag line Got Wood? on the banner that you put on the table. That way, you can whip out the fun innuendo for cons where your target audience is a bunch of pervy fangirls, but you can always go with the classic title at HPF, Goddess Gathering or whatever other Pagan events you end up vending at.

[mijan.livejournal.com]

You are so brilliant. *snogs you madly*

*fly-by boob-grab*

[fiona-fawkes.livejournal.com]

point the first - yes, I know

point the second - HEY! *smacks your arse*

[awaywithpixie.livejournal.com]

quick question. Will you be able to get the woods through customs into the UK? I only ask because you have to declare all wood coming in and out of my country, and they will often take it away and spray it to avoid parasites, at your expense, and it takes days.

Just wondered if you had looked into that.

Huggles. and only 4 weeks now!

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Seeing as it will already be carved, stained, and preserved in polyurethane, I'm sure it'll be fine. It's not like I'm bringing in a fresh branch.

[awaywithpixie.livejournal.com]

Good-o. Still, I've learned never to underestimate customs in any country. *crosses fingers*

(and the whole polyurethane thing wouldn't go down well in Aussie customs. They would still tell you to declare any wood... but they are fussy buggers)

[singlewoman.livejournal.com]

My vote would be Phoenix Wands or Eartwood Wands with the Got Wood? as a subheading. The two sided business card is a really good idea.

[tsuj.livejournal.com]

What about "Wands by Mijan" with a healthy dose as all agree of "got wood?"
I also like "Phoenix Wands" (though I am biased owards that on several counts because I was born in Phoenixville and because Phoenix is the other symbol for Scorpio's - and my totem animal besides).

see ya (or so I hear tell...),
Dean

[bunkermentality.livejournal.com]

I like Woodrealm Wands. And I love the banner/card-verso idea.

[padys.livejournal.com]

GOT WOOD? I'd say TorchEarthwood with Got Wood as your subtitle. :D

[quidditchmaster.livejournal.com]

Why is this even a question?

GOT WOOOOOOOOOOOD

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I like "Mijan's Woodcrafts". That way you can make other things for other times and not have to change the name.

I'm probably in the minority, but I DON'T like "Got Wood". It's too low-brow, or something. It doesn't scream "these are quality woodcrafts". I've seen your work, and they're gorgeous, so yeah. :)

[snottygrrl.livejournal.com]

i'm of the small contingent that likes woodrealm wands but they are all fine names. am kinda fond of begotten wands to.

am all with the tagline of got wood?

i thought of you when i was in new orleans. i didn't know that cajuns are descendants from the nova scotia arcadians. (sp?) they kept telling us on various tours and i kept thinking of you. ♥

[mijan.livejournal.com]

:)

Yes, the Cajuns are descendants of the Acadians. (There's no "r" in Acadian.) I could have told you all about the Acadian side of the history. I'll have to tell you more later.

Are you going to Prophecy? :)
*hugs*
IM ME!!!

[wintermoon3.livejournal.com]

As a fellow crafter and seller, I'd go with Mijan Wands if you're sure you only want to make and sell wands, or possibly Begotten Woods if you might ever want to make and sell something else.

I love the "got wood?" idea because it's catchy, familiar-esque, funny in a stolen-from-a-milk-campaign way and in a sexual-innuendo way AND in a Harry-Potter-fandom-Oliver-Wood-is-sex-on-a-stick way.

Other ideas that come to mind if you want to include non-wand items (which you totally should if you know how to) are:

Mijan Woodcrafts
Woods of the Wyrd (according to Wiki, the concept of Wyrd is In its wider sense, wyrd refers to how past actions continually affect and condition the future. It also stresses the interconnected nature of all actions, and how they influence each other. The concept has some relation to the ideal of predestination. Unlike predestination, however, the concept of wyrd allows for human agency, constrained by past events, but nevertheless capable of shaping reality, an idea that is also prominent in the Dharmic concept of karma. so I think it would fit very nicely)
Woodwork Wonders
Wooded Wonders

btw - I still don't get much traffic, but I'm hoping to start advertising more soon, so if you're interested in putting some wands up on www.craftingbalance.com, please let me know!

[wintermoon3.livejournal.com]

oh, and I forgot to add that Wiki also says, a verbal abstract from the root *wert- "to turn" (Latin vertere), related to the Old English verb weorþan, meaning "to grow into, to become" (compare German werden) which I think is very nicely connected to the method of woodworking in general.

Just my opinion, worth what you paid for it. :)

[voldiebeth.livejournal.com]

Hhmmm Mijan's Wands sounds the most professional. But then, Got Wood would be an awesome subtitle:D

[hiza-chan.livejournal.com]

Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier, but I recently fell in love with your fic "Eclipse" which was recommended to me by someone on my Flist. And well, I'm gonna friend you here, okay?

As for the wands, I like Phoenix Wands and Mijan's Woodcrafts

[mijan.livejournal.com]

I friended you back! Yay! New friends! And I'm glad you liked the fic. Did you find the start of the sequel? Or any of the other fics I've posted? There's a post at the top of my LJ, with links to most of them.

And... I think I'm going to go with "Earthwood Wands" as a business name, and "Got wood?" as a tag-line. :)

[hiza-chan.livejournal.com]

Ya, I found the start of the sequel. I stayed up all night reading the first part and read the first chapter of the sequel the next day. And I actually JUST discovered your NC-17 stuff so I'm reading up on that now. So far my favorite of those is Last Man Standing, but I have a Draco/Harry kink that is only rivaled by my Fred/Harry/George kink sooooo I was definitely glad to find that little morsel.

And that title is great. I wish I lived in England if only to go to the great Harry Potter events they seem to have over there. The only good thing that seems to happen in America are anime conventions and book releases.

Though I AM curious, do you sell wands overseas? And if so, how much would you charge for them? Because they ARE very pretty...

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Actually, I'm American, and I live in the USA. I lived in New England most of my life, but I just moved to Kansas. There are plenty of HP events in the USA. Most of the major conventions have been here. Nimbus 2003, the Witching Hour, Lumos 2006, and Phoenix Rising. Sectus is in London, and Prophecy is in Toronto, and I'm going to both of those, but there are plenty of HP things here in the States. In fact, there are more events here. Seriously.

So, anyway, I sell my wands anywhere people are willing to cover the cost of shipping, if there's a fair way to make payments. They cost between $40 and $150, depending on the wand.

And yay for reading the smut-fics! (Let me know what you think of each of them, ok? I'm a review addict.)